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Show Fiddles and Churns 1858 William Myron Wadsworth, son of Joseph Warren and Abigail Hardy Wadsworth, was born in Mountain Green, 23 July 1353, and lived there with his family until the Fall of 1879, a total of 21 years. During his growing-up years, William, known as Billie, had a number of interesting and happy experiences, as well as sad and painful ones. When he was eight years old, his father and some neighbors were hauling wood to Salt Lake City to be exchanged for shoes and clothing for their families. While climbing off the wagon Billie slipped and fell, breaking his ankle. No doctor was near and a neighbor put a splint and bandage on the boy's leg, but the bone did not heal or knit together. This caused a running sore on the child's ankle, which troubled him all the rest of his life. Billie's father took him to many doctors, but they could not help him. Unable to work in the fields, young Billie turned his talents to other endeavors. At the Wadsworth ranch house, churning the butter played a big part in the struggle to provide daily sustenance for the growing family. Billie's responsi¬bility was to see that the butter was churned each week. With the help of his grandfather, Abiah Wadsworth, the youth built a water- powered churn on the nearby creek. The little water-powered contraption also pro¬vided power for other farm equipment. When the Union Pacific Railroad tracks were laid through Weber Canyon, Elder John Taylor had a carp in Mountain Green. Billie's mother sold milk, eggs, vege¬tables and butter to the camp cook. It was Billie's job to deliver the produce and dairy goods to the camp. Billie was very interested in music, especially the stringed instruments. While still very young he made a violin from an old cigar box. Seeing him so int¬erested in the fiddle, his brothers went to the forest and brought back pieces of Myron Wadsworth 130 |